We offer peace and amity to all the neighbouring states and their peoples, and invite them to cooperate with the independent Jewish nation for the common good of all. The State of Israel is ready to contribute its full share to the peaceful progress and development of the Middle East. (From Proclamation of the State of Israel, 5 Iyar 5708; 14 May 1948)

Sunday, 27 January 2013

The British Foreign Office Identifies Israel As "A Country Of Concern"

The British government's attitude towards Israel is encapsulated in the letter that prime minister David Cameron sent this month to former mayor of New York Ed Koch:

"Let
me reassure you that the UK, is and will remain a firm friend of
Israel. I share your deep concern about the recent inflammatory
statements made by Hamas leaders, including Khaled Mesha’al on 7
December, denying Israel’s right to exist. The UK also utterly and
unreservedly condemns the recent call for a third intifada and a suicide
campaign by a Hamas official. Incitements to violence and terror are
unacceptable. We therefore welcome President Abbas’ public rejection of
these statements and acceptance of the State of Israel within 1967
borders.

We firmly believe that the people of Israel
have a right to live peacefully and free from terror. But we also
believe that the only sustainable way to achieve this is through a
negotiated two-state solution. As friends of Israel, it is important we
do whatever we can tto reach that ultimate objective: two states, living
side by side, in peace. We ask Israel to stop building settlements
because they are illegal under international law, an obstacle to peace
and make a two-state solution, with Jerusalem as a shared capital,
harder to achieve. They are, ultimately, not in Israel’s long-term
interests. Simply building a fortress without a negotiated agreement
with the Palestinians cannot deliver lasting security for Israel.

I
do not share your analysis regarding the recent Palestinian UN General
Assembly resolution. The UK’s position on this resolution was determined
by the guiding principle of ensuring a rapid return to negotiations.
Given this, we had asked Palestinian President Abbas not to move a
resolution at the UN General Assembly in November. In
the period prior to the vote, we engaged intensively to seek a
commitment from the Palestinian leadership to return immediately to
negotiations without preconditions and that they would not pursue
immediate action in UN agencies and the International Criminal Court. In
the absence of these assurances, the UK abstained on the vote.

We
must now look forward. This year is an important one for peace in the
Middle East. The UK will work urgently with the United States, our other
international partners and with the Israelis and Palestinians to drive
the peace progress forward before the window for a two-state solution
closes forever.'

In a report published last week regarding the situation regarding human rights round the world for the period October to December 2012 inclusive, the British Foreign Office identifies Israel as "a country of concern" (along with 27 other nations including such persistent human rights violators as Iran):

'Israel’s inclusion [observesthis account of the report] is likely to cause its incoming government some concern, in light of its close British ally’s repeated cautions in recent months that Israel’s “illegal” pursuit of settlement expansion risks alienating its international allies....

The update of the climate between October and December 2012 concluded that despite Hamas receiving widespread condemnation from foreign leaders at the time of November’s escalation for instigating the exchange of hostilities, “the violence has resulted in a number of humanitarian needs, including a worsening of the already precarious humanitarian situation in Gaza”....'

This is what, inter alia, the FO report has to say:

'November saw a
severe escalation of violence in Gaza and southern and central Israel....

The violence has resulted in a number of humanitarian needs, including a
worsening of the already precarious humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Before the recent outbreak of hostilities, 80% of households in Gaza
relied on humanitarian assistance and 44% of the population were food
insecure. Fuel, water and sanitation have been serious problems for
some time and there are now critical shortages of essential drugs and
medical disposables. A UN Initial Rapid Assessment identified a
number of additional emergency needs as a result of the conflict,
including health, infrastructure and psycho-social care. The
psychological impact of the violence on both Israeli and Gazan citizens,
particularly children, is a particular concern. In addition the
European Commission Humanitarian Office (ECHO) assessed that 10,000
individuals living in north and north-east Gaza were displaced during
the violence with an estimated 350-700 unable to return due to houses
being destroyed or partially destroyed as of 26 November.

On 11 December,
International Development Minister, Alan Duncan visited Gaza City to
observe the impact of the airstrikes firsthand and announced an
additional £1.25m in aid to be channelled through the Red Cross to
address the humanitarian needs of people in Gaza affected by the
conflict.'

"The wall [Israel's security barrier] is a land grab. It hasn't just gone along the lines of the proper Israel boundary. It's taken in open land which actually belongs to Palestine.

Israeli settlers can build what they want and then immediately get the infrastructure so that takes the water deliberately away from Palestinians here." )

Regarding settlements the report observes:

"The UK Government
was concerned about developments relating to Israeli settlements in East
Jerusalem and the West Bank over the reporting period. On 30 November,
the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office announced that he would advance the
next stage of the planning process for the area of West Bank land known
as ‘E1’, thereby building illegally on the last remaining open space of
land East of Jerusalem. Announcements were also made to progress plans
for the future construction of 3000 additional illegal settlement units
in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Further settlement plans were
advanced in East Jerusalem neighbourhoods including in Ramot Shlomo (17
December) and in Givat Hamatos (19 December).

In reaction to these announcements, the Foreign Secretary reaffirmed the UK’s position that “Israeli settlements are illegal under international law and undermine trust between the parties”. Commenting on the most recent announcements, the Foreign Secretary said that “this
decision constitutes a serious provocation and an obstacle to peace. If
implemented, it would make a negotiated two-state solution, with
Jerusalem as a shared capital, very difficult to achieve.”

The construction of a
new settlement in ‘E1’ would, if implemented, have a severe impact on
freedom of movement, limiting the ability of Palestinians to move easily
along the length of the West Bank. This would have an impact on the
economic development, transport links and the ability of the Palestinian
Authority to deliver services to its citizens. Of particular concern
is the impact settlement construction in E1 would have on the area’s
2300 Palestinian Bedouins, who would very likely be displaced if the
plans were to be implemented."

Below, incidentally, is footage of the Jerusalem Post's Caroline Glick arguing the case for the settlements recently (the entire debate, at a forum in London, where Ms Glick experienced hostility that shocked her, can be accessed here).

9 comments:

Nobody wanting a 2-state solution is a friend of Israel, sorry. There should be only 1 state, ISRAEL, stretching from the Nile to the Euphrates, and the madass Muslim and other Arabs can have the rest for their sick Muslim Ummah.

Have you seen this?A LibDem MP gives voice to Britain's national sicknessAs The Commentator reported, to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day Ward said the following: ‘Having visited Auschwitz twice – once with my family and once with local schools – I am saddened that the Jews, who suffered unbelievable levels of persecution during the Holocaust, could within a few years of liberation from the death camps be inflicting atrocities on Palestinians in the new State of Israel and continue to do so on a daily basis in the West Bank and Gaza.’http://melaniephillips.com/britains-national-sickness

The British Foreign Office worked furiously to direct the British army to sink any and all ships with Jews fleeing Europe to Mandatory Palestine DURING the Holocaust. The British Foreign Office was the tool of the Arabs during the 1920's - 40's whereby they directed the British Army and Police to disarm Yishuv Jews in Palestine. This is what made the Hebron pogrom and all the Arab pogroms in that period possible.

Nobody who escaped from Nazi-occupied Europe was ever sent back there. The FO had no control over the military, which was entirely under the control of Churchill and the General Staff. You might be thinking of the 1942 Struma tragedy, Trudy - the Romanian vessel was sunk in the Black Sea by a Soviet submarine; the Royal Navy was not involved.

The British Foreign Office built CONCENTRATION CAMPS in eretz for the survivors of the most heinous crime ever perpetrated against humanity. The Edict of Expulsion was only the beginning of anti-Semitic Britain. I, and any rational human being have looked at their record and have identified the UK as "a country of concern" due to their inherent and unapologetic targeting of and discrimination against Jews.

The Jews are a peculiar people: things permitted to other nations are forbidden to the Jews. Other nations drive out thousands, even millions, of people, and there is no refugee problem.... [N]o one says a word about refugees. But in the case of Israel displaced Arabs have become eternal refugees.... Other nations - when they are defeated - survive and recover, but should Israel be defeated it would be destroyed.... [A]s it goes with Israel, so it will go with all of us. Should Israel perish the holocaust will be upon us. Eric Hoffer (1968)

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אם תרצו , אין זו אגדה

#Je suis ISRAEL

January 7, 2015 has already its place in the history of infamy, but also will be the date when the defenders of freedom and democracy will rise and pay tribute to those who died for their freedom and ours. Therefore, we must not forget on which side we are and who are our allies in the defense of the West and its values. Whether we admit it or not, the West is at war with an enemy who will not stop to destroy us...The State of Israel boasts a commandment that, in one of the darkest hours in the fight for liberty Winston Churchill taught: "Never give up". Israel has proven to be a key ally in the fight against Islamism and also an example of how a liberal democracy can resist the jihadist stake and thrive as a Western nation ... Not only France but also all the West should look to Israel to defeat Islamism...friendsofisraelinitiative.org

Jews have reassumed the role of the canary in the mine and are the first to be targeted, but the world would face the same threat if Jews did not exist. Israel has been at the frontlines confronting Islamic extremism but has received scant support... For Jews, the writing has been on the wall for a long time. The virulence of the antisemitic hatred closing in on Jews in Europe (and elsewhere) is horrifying... Europe is today facing a crisis as serious as the confrontation with Nazism. If Western leaders continue behaving like Chamberlain and fail to stand up to this global threat, it could usher in a new Dark Age in which the Judeo-Christian culture is subsumed by primitive barbarism. The writing is on the wall Isi Leibler (12 January 2015)

In a region where women are stoned, gays are hanged, Christians are persecuted, Israel ... is different.... Of the 300 million Arabs in the Middle East and North Africa, only Israel's Arab citizens enjoy real democratic rights.... Israel is not what is wrong about the Middle East. Israel is what is right about the Middle East. Bibi Netanyahu (20 Iyar 5771; 24 May 2011)

What has happened to the 800,000 Jews who lived for over 2000 years in the Arab lands ...? Where are they in Arab society today? You dare talk of racism when I can point with pride ... to the fact that it is as natural for an Arab to serve in public office in Israel as it is incongruous to think of a Jew serving in any public office in an Arab country, indeed being admitted to many of them. Chaim Herzog (6 Kislev 5736; 10 November 1975)

I stand with Israel, I stand with the Jews.... I defend their right to exist, to defend themselves, to not let themselves be exterminated a second time. And, disgusted by the antisemitism of many Europeans ... I am shamed by this shame that dishonours my country and Europe. Oriana Fallaci

For Western countries to side with those who question Israel's legitimacy, for them to play games in international bodies with Israel's vital security issues, for them to appease those who oppose Western values, rather than robustly to stand up in defence of those values, is not only a grave moral mistake, but a strategic error of the first magnitude. Israel is a fundamental part of the West. The West is what it is thanks to its Judeo-Christian roots. If the Jewish element of those roots is lost and Israel is lost, then we are lost too. Jose Maria Aznar

Israel is, for us, a normal and a special country. A normal country, because it is just like any other democracy. A special country, because the Jewish culture, which eventually became the Judeo-Christian culture of the dignity of man, is the conceptual foundation of liberalism and democracy. This is why attacking Israel is tantamount to attacking Europe and the West. This is also why disputing Israel's legitimacy and its right to existence means questioning democracy. And this is why we are Friends of Israel. By defending Israel, we are defending ourselves. Marcello Pera

Apart from America itself, Israel still stands as the world's brightest model of national self-liberation based on ideals of individual responsibility and human freedom. Israel's ability to withstand Arab attempts to destroy it in one of the longest and most lop-sided wars ever fought serves as an indelible testimony to the strength of democratic culture.... We know from the past that the West paid dearly for ignoring Hitler's war against the Jews. One can only hope it will not pay as dearly for having ignored or underestimated for so long the Arab war against Israel and the Jews. Ruth Wisse

With a liberal democratic political system operating under the rule of law, a flourishing market economy producing technological innovation to the benefit of the wider world, and a population as educated and cultured as anywhere in Europe or North America, Israel is a normal Western country with a right to be treated as such in the community of nations.... For the global jihad, Israel may be the first objective. But it will not be the last. Friends of Israel Initiative.

I am duty-bound to defend freedom, culture, peaceful coexistence, the civic education of children, and all the principles that the Tablets of the Law have rendered universal. Principles which Islamic fundamentalism systematically destroys. This means that, since I am a Gentile, a journalist and a leftist, I have a triple moral commitment to Israel. Because, if Israel were to be vanquished, modernity, culture and freedom would also be crushed. Even though the world has failed to wake up to this fact, Israel's struggle is the world's struggle. Pilar Rahola

Israel ... is beset today by a unique combination of threats. It must defend its people from attack while defending its very right to exist. No other nation in the world faces this dual challenge. To deny Israel's right to confront some of the world's most vicious terrorist groups in order to ensure the safety of its citizens is to corrode international norms from within ... The assault on Israel is one part of a more general assault on the West, on democracy, and on the moral and cultural heritage that grew from the fruitful interaction of Jerusalem, Athens, and Rome ... Should these efforts succeed, similar efforts will certainly be turned against other western democracies. George Weigel

The Jews of the Holy Land ... are surrounded by hostile states 650 times their territory and sixty times their population. Yet their last, best hope of ending two millennia of international persecution - the State of Israel - has somehow survived. When, during the Second World War, the island of Malta came through three terrible years of bombardment and destruction, it was rightly awarded the George Cross for bravery. Today, Israel should be awarded a similar decoration for defending democracy, tolerance and Western values against a murderous onslaught that has lasted twenty times as long. Andrew Roberts

Most of the present Arab countries were given their freedom after the 1914-18 War, or after the 1939-45 War.... Yet to listen to Arab spokesmen one might think that they had been cheated ... because they have not also got Israel. Israel is only .2 per cent of the land where Arab States have been established. Surely no fair-minded man can begrudge the Jews their own promised land when it is remembered that for every 2 acres that went to make up Israel, 1,000 acres became Arab.

.... Why is there an Arab refugee problem? The oil-rich countries have the money. There is no shortage of land, and the Israelis have the technical knowledge to show how it could be developed and made fertile. Bring those things together and the problem could be solved. 3rd Earl of Balfour (1968)

About Me

I'm a writer/researcher, with many academic books and articles under my own name. Daphne Anson is my blogging alias. Combining the names of two ships, it's a moniker of special significance to me - I'm a naval history buff. I use an alias owing to a perceived need to keep my blogging and professional identities separate. An Aussie, I've long been interested in
politics and foreign affairs, having studied International Relations in the USA and Britain for my first degree, and I also hold a doctorate. I began blogging in response to the exponential rise in antisemitism and hostility to Israel in the wake of the Mavi Marmara affair.

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The spiritual awakening which Jews experienced almost without exception last June must not be allowed to become a sealed and finished episode.... Support must be rallied among men of goodwill and their governments if we are to reach that secure and just peace in the attainment of which Israel has never ceased to believe. President Zalman Shazar (1968)

Our judicial system is one of the best in the whole world. Our democracy is the only one in the Middle East.... Just imagine, what would have happened if the Arabs had, like us, accepted the Partition resolution? There would be a Palestinian State living side by side in peace, security, and, I can add, prosperity with the State of Israel, 62 years later. [C]ome to Israel, and realize how small Israel is and what a wonderful place it is. Diplomat Gabriella Shalev (2010)

The choice before us is not between victory and defeat, but between victory and annihilation. We therefore have not the slightest intention of allowing the re-creation of the conditions of vulnerability in which we found ourselves, abandoned and alone, in the summer of 1967. Diplomat Michael Comay (1970)